Black Fire [Panther Key 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Scarlet Day

  Hoisting herself off the floor, she glanced at the clock on her nightstand and moaned. The bright-red numbers showed five o’clock. She might as well get ready for work since she wouldn’t be going back to sleep after that dream.

  Walking to the kitchen to start a much-needed pot of coffee, Abby hoped there weren’t any pythons, alligators, giant cats, or anything else with large, pointy teeth waiting for her today.

  Chapter Three

  Bryce walked out on the dock where his twin brother, Brad, was putting gear in the boat. The rippling water glowed with the golden light as the early morning sun made an appearance over the horizon.

  “You look like hell.” He handed Brad a cup of coffee and eyed his brother, who normally slept like a baby. “What did you do last night, and why didn’t you invite me?”

  Brad scowled at him and ignored the question then drank the coffee like a man dying of thirst.

  “Damn, should I make another pot to go?”

  Brad narrowed his eyes at him. “Might as well, since you’re going with me.”

  Curiosity crept through Bryce. Brad rarely asked him to go with him out in the field anymore unless there was a really big job. Bryce spent most of his time handling their wildlife rehabilitation compound on the neighboring island. “Want to tell me what this is about?”

  “Nope, just need to see your reaction to something.” Brad threw his gear into the boat and waited for Bryce to get in. Bryce stood there for a minute, gauging his brother’s emotions. Brad had them completely locked down, not allowing Bryce to get any idea of what was going on in his twin’s mind. Bryce finally shrugged and stepped onto the boat.

  * * * *

  Almost two hours later, after transferring from the boat to Brad’s truck stored on the mainland, they pulled into the parking lot where they were meeting up with Abby. Bryce hadn’t met her yet, but Kate, their cousins’ new mate and Abby’s cousin, was extremely excited about her moving to Florida and had invited Abby down to spend the next weekend at Panther Key. They were all under strict orders not to shift when Abby visited, so the…unusual…nature of Kate’s new family would remain a secret.

  Multiple attempts to get information out of Brad during the two-hour trip had proved fruitless, and Bryce still had no idea why Brad wanted him to come along. Bryce could usually read his twin’s emotions easily, but Brad had managed to keep them closed up tight so far. Bryce had started to wonder if it had something to do with Abby. Brad had hired her after a simple phone interview, and yesterday was the first time they had actually met. If Brad had reasons to think this employment arrangement was not going to work out, he could be looking to Bryce for a second opinion. Bryce knew it would crush Kate if they had to let Abby go. Worse, there would be hell to pay if they upset Kate right now, compliments of their cousins’ overprotective streak where Kate and her current condition were concerned.

  Kate had been through a lot in the last couple of months. She had been through her first major hurricane. Considering she now lived on an island off the Florida coast, it wouldn’t be the last. She had also only recently learned that she was a legendary black panther shifter. The only one left in existence, in fact. As if that hadn’t been traumatic enough, the ancient vampire clan had tried to kill her. So Bryce could understand why his cousins might be a bit overbearing when it came to their mate.

  Abby was already waiting in the parking lot for them, leaning against her Jeep with her legs crossed at the ankles. Bryce’s first thought was how much she looked like Kate. Her long, black hair was pulled back away from her face and tied into a ponytail, accentuating her cheekbones and her emerald-green eyes.

  “Cousins, huh? They look more like twins.” Bryce tore his gaze away from Abby and looked at Brad, whose only reaction was to huff and put the truck in park.

  Shaking his head at Brad’s unusual behavior, Bryce got out of the truck. Even though it wasn’t even eight o’clock in the morning yet, the hot air was already thick with humidity, and it hit him like a blast furnace. Mixed with the heat was a peculiar scent. It stirred something in Bryce, but it was very diluted with all the other earthy smells surrounding them. It puzzled him, but he pushed it away.

  Bryce walked over to Abby and extended his hand. “Hi, Abby, I’m Bryce, Brad’s brother.”

  Pushing herself away from the truck, Abby shook Bryce’s hand and flashed him a smile that lit up her face. “Nice to meet you, Bryce. Kate’s told me a lot about you.”

  Bryce chuckled. “I hope you didn’t believe too much of it.”

  Abby’s laugh was low and husky, and it made Bryce forget to breathe for a moment. Brad stood next to Abby with his arms crossed over his chest in an almost defensive position. Or was it protective? Bryce felt emotions rolling off of Brad for the first time that morning. Brad was definitely feeling protective, but his intense stare was focused entirely on Bryce. Interesting.

  “We better get going. We’ve got an injured cat to track down this morning.” Bryce saw surprise—and maybe a little trepidation—flash across Abby’s face at Brad’s words.

  Bryce shook his head and laughed. “Let me guess. He put you through the python routine yesterday, didn’t he?”

  Abby’s eyes widened before a sheepish grin turned up her pretty lips. “Yeah, he did.”

  “And she handled herself like a pro.” Bryce heard pride in Brad’s voice. Hmmm…so today wasn’t about needing to let Abby go. This was getting more interesting by the minute.

  Bryce looked closely at Abby’s forehead and brushed her bangs out of the way with his fingers. “Is that how you got this?” Her bangs had been obscuring a dark-purple bruise.

  Brad stiffened and turned to Abby, his eyes raking over her forehead. “What happened? Did someone hurt you? Do you have a headache, any dizziness?”

  “No, I’m fine, really. I just…” Abby’s cheeks flushed a delightful shade of red. “I fell out of bed this morning.”

  Bryce felt his brother’s alarm slowly fade. Brad narrowed his eyes as he studied her. “You let me know immediately if you get light-headed or sleepy, understand?”

  Still flushed, Abby nodded.

  Brad went around to the driver’s side and climbed in while Bryce held the passenger door open for Abby so she could get in first. As much as Bryce liked his twin, he had no desire to rub shoulders with him in the confines of the truck. At least, not when there was a pretty girl he could rub shoulders with instead.

  Bryce admired Abby from behind as she climbed in. He could understand if his brother was attracted to her. After all, she was stunning in a down-to-earth kind of way, and she had nice curves in all the right places. But he couldn’t understand what had caused the strong protective emotions he still felt coming from Brad.

  As soon as Bryce climbed into the truck and closed the door behind him, the faint smell he had detected earlier washed over him in all its undiluted glory. Bryce froze. In his mind, his cat raised its big head and inhaled deeply then stood up and paced, flicking its tail in anticipation. Bryce felt his heart rate speed up. He struggled to keep his breathing even.

  He looked over the top of Abby’s head and caught Brad’s intent stare. Understanding passed between them like a shockwave. They had found their mate.

  Chapter Four

  Sitting in the cab of the truck with Brad yesterday had been nothing compared to being sandwiched between the two brothers this morning. Abby inhaled deeply, appreciating the fresh, earthy scents of the men. She detected distinct aromas from each of them. Brad had a musky, vanilla smell while Bryce’s scent reminded Abby of citrus and spice. The combination almost made her light-headed. These men were so overwhelmingly…male.

  The crotch of Abby’s jeans felt uncomfortably wet, and she resisted the urge to squirm in her seat. This whole situation was ridiculous! Never before had her body reacted like this, and here it was getting worked up over two men she couldn’t possible have. Not only were these men twins, who were both way out of her league, but Brad was also her boss. She ab
solutely refused to fall for her boss! Abby was convinced that was one sure-fire method for finding herself without a job.

  As they drove west on Tamiami Trail, the road that bisected the Everglades and connected Miami to Tampa, Abby became aware of a deafening lack of conversation. She had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts and raging hormones she hadn’t noticed the tension around her. Could she have said something to cause it? She racked her brain, trying to remember what she’d said in the parking lot. She couldn’t come up with anything that would have caused the tension she felt.

  Sitting between these two men, the silence weighed down on Abby until she thought she would suffocate. Even the scenery, rich with birds and alligators, wasn’t enough to take her mind off of it.

  “So, an injured cat, huh?” She kept looking straight ahead, afraid if she actually looked at one of the brothers her misbehaving hormones would get the best of her. She already had her hands clenched tightly in her lap to prevent them from wandering of their own accord onto one of the men’s legs.

  From the corner of her eye, she saw Brad glance at her. “A panther. She was sighted by an airboat operator last night and reported to the Fish and Wildlife Commission.”

  “And they called you?”

  Abby expected Brad to answer and was a little surprised to hear Bryce’s voice instead. “We run a wildlife rehab center. Panthers are our specialty, so they often call us in when they need help with a cat.”

  “Rehab center, really? Will I get to visit it?” Abby could hear the excitement in her own voice. Even as a child, she had always loved taking care of animals. Some of her friends were still surprised she hadn’t become a veterinarian.

  Bryce chuckled. “How about this weekend? You’re supposed to come down to the island anyway to visit Kate, right?”

  “Hey, that’s right! With everything else going on, I’d almost forgotten about that. So, um…do you two live on the island?”

  Oh, that was smooth, Abby. She felt like smacking herself in the forehead for actually asking that question. It probably sounded like she was interested in them or something.

  She felt Bryce shudder next to her, almost like he was suppressing a laugh, but it was Brad who answered. “We have a house there. We’d love to show you around if you’d like.”

  “Um, sure. Sounds great.”

  Good lord, is it getting hot in here? Abby flicked the air conditioning to high and adjusted the vent to blow cold air on her, deciding if she didn’t get out of this truck soon she was likely to spontaneously combust.

  * * * *

  Twenty minutes later they pulled off the road onto a dirt driveway, where an old metal building sat alongside a small canal. As they got out of the truck, the heat and humidity made Abby break out in an instant sweat.

  A man with long, black hair, high cheekbones, and tanned skin walked around the side of the building and waved. Brad walked up to him and shook the man’s hand then turned to make introductions.

  “Bobby, this is our new employee, Abby. Bobby operates an airboat service and is the one who saw our cat last night. He’s also a member of the local Seminole tribe and knows these canals better than just about anyone.”

  Bobby extended his hand, and Abby shook it. “Nice to meet you, Abby. Don’t let these guys be too hard on you. They’re really just big pussycats at heart.”

  Bryce coughed loudly, and Brad groaned, making Abby laugh. “Thanks, I’ll try to remember that.”

  Bobby ushered them around the building to a small wooden dock with an airboat tied to it. The boat looked top heavy, with its huge, fan-like motor mounted to the back and the seats perched high above the deck. Abby felt a moment of uncertainty about riding in it but then reminded herself that she’d never sat on top of a python until yesterday either. Heck, if she could handle that, then she could handle anything.

  Brad stepped onto the boat, his weight causing it to wobble, and extended his hand to help Abby on board. Squaring her shoulders, she took Brad’s hand and put her weight on him as she hopped off the pier and into the boat. The boat bobbed as she stepped in, and she stumbled slightly, but Brad’s strong arms caught her around her waist. She fell against his hard chest and looked up into his face in surprise. His eyes were wide as he looked down at her, and she saw his nostrils flare before he settled her on her feet. She felt her face heat up, and she quickly climbed into one of the seats, averting her eyes from him and trying to get her breathing under control. Why did these men make her feel like she was going to hyperventilate?

  She glanced up as Bryce stepped on board and saw that his lips were turned up in a grin. Great, so he thought it was amusing. She had managed to prove to Brad the day before that she wasn’t a bumbling idiot. Now it looked like she was going to have to prove it to Bryce today.

  Bobby boarded and handed them noise-canceling earmuffs. As they put them on, Bobby started up the big motor and pushed the boat away from the dock. Abby was grateful for the ear protection since, even through the muffs, she could hear the roar of the fan.

  She gripped the edges of her seat, determined not to fall off and prove to Bryce that she really wasn’t cut out for this line of work.

  Chapter Five

  Abby sat perched in the airboat, her knuckles white from the grip she had on the edge of her seat. Bryce was having a hard time keeping his eyes off her. He could sense her alarm every time they rounded a bend and the airboat swayed, but he also sensed her exhilaration when she leaned into the wind as they sped through the maze of grass-lined canals.

  It was impossible to hear anything with his earmuffs on, especially combined with the muffled roar of the engine, so he concentrated on her reactions to their surroundings. She jumped several times when alligators made sudden movements on the banks or plunged into the water as they sped by, but she would then lean over to get a closer look. He had to suppress his laughter several times at the range of emotions that played across her face. He could tell a part of her was terrified to be this close to the local wildlife, but part of her was also having the time of her life. He liked the contradiction.

  Bryce had never been in a hurry to find his mate, but he’d never been particularly adverse to the idea either. He and Brad weren’t party boys like their younger twin brothers, Cash and Chase, but they still enjoyed their freedom and hadn’t talked much about settling down. They had always just assumed it would happen when it happened and they would deal with it then.

  Brad was still keeping his emotions closed down, and Bryce was having a hard time figuring out if his brother was happy about this new development or not. He had felt protectiveness and pride rolling off of Brad, but Brad had a firm hold on any other thoughts and wasn’t sharing them.

  Bryce wasn’t even sure about his own feelings. Finding a mate was a powerful experience for a shifter. His cat was absolutely certain that Abby was meant for him, but his head wasn’t wrapping itself around the idea quite so easily. His natural instinct to bind himself to her was an overwhelming pull, and he knew he would, inevitably, succumb to it. But there was also something about Abby that had him puzzled.

  Shifter males could normally sense females of their kind, but Bryce couldn’t feel the part of Abby’s mind that would tell him if she was a shifter or not. It was as if that part of her didn’t exist. They couldn’t even rely on the female mating fever to determine if she was a shifter since that same area of the mind also controlled the fever. Without being able to sense that crucial area, any desire they detected from her could be chalked up to an overzealous human libido. It left them with quite a conundrum. Since female shifters were not able to shift until they mated, they wouldn’t know whether Abby was a shifter until then.

  Shifters could mate and have children with non-shifters—Kate’s parents being one such pairing—but they would never have the mental link with their mates that a true shifter joining provided. The fact that he and Brad were twins also created a possibly insurmountable obstacle if Abby turned out to be purely human.

&nb
sp; Male shifters born as a set of multiples rarely mated to different females. They had such strong mental links to their birth siblings that being separated for extended lengths of time could do significant mental damage. They also experienced strong emotions through their links. Joy, desire, pain, and other feelings could be felt even when they were not together, making it difficult, if not impossible, to carry on normal lives apart from each other.

  Finding a human woman who could live within shifter society was challenging enough, but finding one who could overcome the human societal taboo of having more than one mate was damn near impossible. As he watched Abby react to the sights around them with that alluring mixture of trepidation and excitement, he found himself hoping they could mate with her. That she would accept them for who and what they were. And, even if she turned out to not be a shifter, that she could cope with all their mating entailed.

  Chapter Six

  Abby sighed in relief when Bobby steered the boat toward an embankment and drove it up onto the grassy swale. She was happy to get back onto dry land. Bobby cut the engine, and silence descended upon them like a blanket. Her ears had gotten used to the muffled roar, and it took a few minutes to adjust to the subtle sounds of the Everglades. The hot wind rustled the long, dry grasses. Birdcalls could be heard in the distance.

  Bryce extended his hand to help her out of the boat. She gripped it, and a tremor went through her at the contact. She gasped. She glanced up to Bryce and saw his eyes widen. She quickly averted her eyes and stepped out of boat then glanced over at Brad. He was watching her. She felt heat flood her cheeks under Brad’s stare. Had he noticed her reaction to Bryce? Mortification crept through her at the embarrassing thought, and she turned away from the men, pretending to look at the scenery. She could still see them from the corner of her eye, but she was trying to be stealthy about it.